Match-box.



FREDERICK'E. ROZEK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed May 25, 1814. Serial No. 840,861.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. ROZEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie, State of New York, have invented certain now and useful Improvements in Match-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a match box, and more particularly to the type of match boxes by which one match is delivered at a time.

An object of the invention is to provide a match box by which one match is delivered at a time and the delivering mechanism will be operated manually to lift the match out of the hopper and will be returned to its initial position automatically.

l/Vith these and other objects in view this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts as herein set forth and subsequently claimed.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section looking toward the rear of the device. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section looking toward the front of the device taken on a plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken on a horizontal plane through the hopper. Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on a horizontal plane looking at the bottom of the device.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters wherein like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the several views: My device comprises a rectangular box like structure 1 having a semi-cylindrical enlargement 2 secured to the forward face thereof and a cover 3 hingedly secured to the rear upper edge of the boxl.

In the upper portion of the box 1 is a hopper 4 having downwardly extending curved converging sides which are separated at the middle portions thereof by a slot 5 and are joined at the end portions thereof by trough shaped arms 6.

In the cover member 3 in alinement with the slot 5 in the hopper is a slot 7 and overhanging this slot is a guard member 8 which is secured to the cover 3 by a flange 9. This guard member has a vertical wall 10 and a curved horizontal portion 11 which curves forwardly and downwardly, which curved portion guides the match which is ejected from the slot 7 down onto the forward por-. tion of the cover 3. On the forward edge of said cover is an upwardly extending elongated triangular member for preventing the accidental displacement of a match from the cover on which it rests and for facilitating the manual removal of the said. match therefrom.

ldounted within the box 1 and slidable through the slot 5 in the hopper and the slot 7 in the cover is a plate 12 having a groove 13 in its upper edge in which a match is adapted to rest and trunnions 14 on its lower end at opposite sides thereof. These trunnions operate in guideways 15 secured to the inner faces of the sides of the box member 1 to guide the plate 12 in its reciprocating movement. On the lower edge of this plate 12 is a U-shaped member 16 which engages a projection 17 on the lever l8 which is secured to a cross bar 19 rotatably mounted in the sides of the box member and extends transversely across the inside thereof. Extending forwardly from this lever member is an arm 21 which is engaged in a slot 22 on the lower end of the operating slide 23 which extends upwardly through a hole 21 V in the enlargement 2 on the body member 1. This operating member is slidably and loosely mounted in a guide 25 secured to the forward face of the box member above the enlargement 2.

A handle 26 is secured to the upper end of the operating slide 23 and extends forwardly through a slot 27 in the guide member 25.

In operation matches are placed in the hopper 4 so as to lie transversely thereacross and one of which will automatically rest in the groove in the upper edge of the plate 12, the cover 2 is then closed and locked in its closed position. When it is desirable to eject a match from the hopper, the handle 26 is pushed downwardly rapidly in the guide 25. This pushes the forward end of the lever 18 downwardly and the slide 12 rapidly upwardly through the 7 slot 5 in the hopper 4: and raises a match out of said hopper. The match is carried by this member 12 upwardly and through the slot 7 in the cover 2. \Vhen the trunnions on the slide 12 come in contacowith the lower face of the hopper the motlon of the said slide is suddenly arrested and the match carried by the groove in the upper edge of:

the slide is forcibly ejected against the curved portion 11 of the guard 8. When the match contacts with the curved portion 11 referred to it is guided forwardly and v seen that I have provided a match box which may be manually operated to lift a match from the hopper within the box and to cast the same upon a convenient part of the device, so that it may be readily removed by'the operator, and I have still further provided a device, parts of which will be automatically operated and returned to their initial positions after a match has been ejected from the hopper.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction of my invention shown,

for it is obvious that numerous changes may.

In a device of the class described, arectangular box like member, a hopper having inclined sides and a slot at the juncture of said sides, a slide mounted within the rectangular member and arranged to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly through the slot in the hopper, a lever engaging, said slide, an operating slide engaging said lever and extending upwardly through the slot in the hopper, a guide member attached to the forward face of the rectangular member and having a slot in its forward face, the operating slide being mounted in said guide and a handle secured to said operating slide and extending through the slot in the guide,

a cover having a slot therein registering with the slot in the hopper, and a guard overhanging said slot.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK E. ROZEK.

Witnesses I WILLLA'M HELWIG, DANIEL J. HANLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

